Method and system for quantifying real time ion channel activity with standardized values

Abstract

A method and system through which input electrophysiological data from a patient or model organism can be integrated within a computational backend environment where the input parameters are combined to quantify and output voltage-gated channel activity having picoamperes/second units. The computational backend environment then diagnoses membrane excitability conditions based on the comparison of the channel activity quantification to a theoretical database of channel activity quantifications. In this regard, the computational backend environment can quantify electrophysiological data in a way which allows for an accurate diagnosis and output of treatment options based on the quantification of several ion channels.

1 . A method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject, comprising the steps of:
 providing an electronic device having at least one processor configured to execute instructions from a software application;   providing ion channel activity data for a plurality of predetermined voltage gated ion channels, wherein said ion channel activity data defines measurements taken in a patient over a specified time period and includes, for at least one given excitable cell type, a measurement of the number of channels for each voltage gated ion channel and measurements of the ionic flux for each voltage gated ion channel during the specified time period; and   processing by said processor the ion channel activity data provided, wherein the step of processing includes (1) calculating an ion channel activity value for each of the plurality of voltage gated ion channels from the number of channels measurement and the ionic flux measurements over the specified time period and (2) producing therefrom a quantified provided ion channel activity value for each voltage gated ion channel over the given excitable cell type that is standardized for expression in electric current by time and voltage units, thereby enabling real time activity of the patient's voltage gated ion channels for the entire given excitable cell type to be summarized and real time ion channel activity values calculated for distinct ion channels and/or across different excitable cell types to be compared.   
     
     
         2 . The method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 1 , additionally comprising the steps of:
 providing an activity database having at least one quantified baseline ion channel activity value; and   interpreting by said processor quantified provided ion channel activity values, wherein the step of interpreting includes comparing the quantified provided ion channel activity values with quantified baseline ion channel values.   
     
     
         3 . The method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 2 , wherein said quantified baseline ion channel activity values include theoretical ion channel activity values for at least one organ or cell type. 
     
     
         4 . The method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 2 , wherein said quantified baseline ion channel activity values include historical ion channel activity values. 
     
     
         5 . The method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 2 , wherein said quantified baseline ion channel activity values include known disease ion channel activity values for at least one organ or cell type. 
     
     
         6 . The method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 5 , wherein the step of interpreting additionally includes diagnosing membrane excitability disorders present by identifying known disease ion channel activity values which are substantially similar quantified provided ion channel activity values. 
     
     
         7 . The method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 6 , wherein the activity database additionally includes lifestyle factor data associated with ion channel activity and the diagnosing of membrane excitability disorders present includes a comparison of lifestyle factor data lifestyle factors relevant to the subject. 
     
     
         8 . The method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 1 , wherein the step of processing includes calculating ion channel activity in real time. 
     
     
         9 . The method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 1 , additionally comprising the step of outputting by said processor ion channel activity, wherein the step of outputting includes providing a visual display of quantified provided ion channel activity values. 
     
     
         10 . The method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 1 , additionally comprising the step of configuring ion channel activity data provided by said processor, wherein the step of configuring includes determining the file format of the ion channel activity data provided. 
     
     
         11 . A system for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject, comprising:
 an electronic device having at least one processor and memory, wherein said processor is configured to execute instructions from a software application to cause the electronic device to perform the following step;   processing ion channel activity data for a plurality of predetermined voltage gated ion channels, wherein said ion channel activity data includes a measurement of the number of channels for each voltage gated ion channel, and the ionic flux for a particular ion for a plurality of voltage gated ion channels during a specified time period, and the specified time period of the ionic flux for a particular ion for each of the plurality of voltage gated ion channel; and   wherein the step of processing includes calculating an ion channel activity value for each of the plurality of voltage gated ion channels from the number of channels value and the rate of ionic flux value to produce quantified provided ion channel activity values.   
     
     
         12 . The system for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 11 , additionally comprising an activity database having at least one quantified baseline ion channel activity value and embodied on non-volatile memory, wherein the processor is configured to additionally to cause the electronic device to interpret quantified provided ion channel activity values, wherein the step of interpreting includes comparing the quantified provided ion channel activity values with quantified baseline ion channel values. 
     
     
         13 . The system for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 12 , wherein said quantified baseline ion channel activity values include theoretical ion channel activity values for at least one organ or cell type. 
     
     
         14 . The system for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 12 , wherein said quantified baseline ion channel activity values include historical ion channel activity values. 
     
     
         15 . The system for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 12 , wherein said quantified baseline ion channel activity values include known disease ion channel activity values for at least one organ or cell type. 
     
     
         16 . The system for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 15 , wherein the step of interpreting additionally includes aiding in the diagnosis of membrane excitability disorders present by identifying known disease ion channel activity values which are substantially similar quantified provided ion channel activity values. 
     
     
         17 . The system for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 16 , wherein the activity database additionally includes lifestyle factor data associated with ion channel activity and the diagnosing of membrane excitability disorders present includes a comparison of lifestyle factor data lifestyle factors relevant to the subject. 
     
     
         18 . The system for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 11 , wherein the step of processing includes calculating ion channel activity in real time. 
     
     
         19 . The system for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to additionally to cause the electronic device to output ion channel activity, wherein the step of outputting includes providing a visual display of quantified provided ion channel activity values. 
     
     
         20 . A method for quantifying voltage gated channel activity for a subject, comprising the steps of:
 providing an electronic device having at least one processor configured to execute instructions from a software application;   providing ion channel activity data for a plurality of predetermined voltage gated ion channels, wherein said ion channel activity data defines measurements taken in a patient over a specified time period and includes a measurement of the number of channels for each voltage gated ion channel and measurements of the ionic flux for each voltage gated ion channel during the specified time period;   providing an activity database having at least one quantified baseline ion channel activity value, wherein said quantified baseline ion channel activity value includes at least known disease ion channel activity values for at least one organ or cell type;   configuring by said processor the ion channel activity data provided, wherein the step of configuring includes at least identifying the file format of the ion channel activity data provided and reading measurement values in the ion channel activity data provided;   processing by said processor the ion channel activity data provided, wherein the step of processing includes (1) calculating an ion channel activity value for each of the plurality of voltage gated ion channels from the number of channels measurement and the ionic flux measurements over the specified time period and (2) producing therefrom a quantified provided ion channel activity value for each voltage gated ion channel that is standardized for expression in electric current by time and voltage units, thereby enabling real time activity of the patient's voltage gated ion channels for the entire given excitable cell type to be summarized;   interpreting by said processor quantified provided ion channel activity values, wherein the step of interpreting includes comparing the quantified provided ion channel activity values with quantified baseline ion channel values and includes diagnosing membrane excitability disorders present by identifying known disease ion channel activity values which are substantially similar quantified provided ion channel activity values; and   outputting by said processor ion channel activity, wherein the step of outputting includes providing a visual display of quantified provided ion channel activity values.